There are 300 species of hummingbirds whose habitats are solely in the Americas, although only 15 to 16 of these species are in the United States. Arkansas County only has the ruby-throated hummingbird, which area residents say have visited the Cook’s Lake area for more than 50 years. Most birds live three to five years. Tanya Beasley, the Potlatch Conservation Education Center’s director said the hummingbird, which has about 950 feathers, has one of the largest brains of any animal in relation to its body size and has an excellent memory of where it has found food, such as hummingbird feeders, in past years so it can visit them during future migrations.

Diet

A hummingbird will visit as many as 2,000 flowers per day. Beasley said a hummingbird will consume about 150-160 pounds of protein per day, which is not including the liquid it will drink. She added that the bird will visit a feeder every 15 minutes.

Banders

Arkansas County’s Beasley is the only licensed hummingbird bander in Arkansas. There are about 150 banders with permits and about 280 associated banders in the United States. In addition to the banding, she collects additional information on each bird including it’s weight, wing span and sex. Beasley said they have only had one female lay an egg while banded.

Fledglings

Hummingbirds normally lay two pea-sized eggs about two to three days apart, which the female will incubate for about 12-16 days. After hatching, the fledglings are out of the nest by the third week and the female will have a second nest prepared for two additional eggs. “Seventy-five percent of the fledglings don’t make it,” Beasley said. “They are very vulnerable to predators.”

Attractions

Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, so Beasley said area residents should incorporate the color throughout their yard if possible. There are also a variety of flowers, including pineapple sage, that can be planted for hummingbirds to feed off. Hummingbirds have excellent sight, but cannot smell, Beasley said, adding that residents should not purchase any plants for hummingbirds based on the smell alone. She also recommended leaving out hummingbird feeders year-round for the birds that are still in the area. Other area residents have hung the feeder just above a candle warmer or placed a spotlight two and a half to three feet away from the feeder to keep the liquid warm.